Tourism is a strategic activity for Portugal, being its largest economic export activity, accounting for 15.3% of exports of goods and services. It is also a factor in regional development, as it involves a multitude of areas and agents that must work together across the board.

The "Strategy for Tourism 2027 - Thinking the Future, Acting in the Present" envisages the construction of a strategic framework for the next 10 years, considering various changes and perspectives as well as the Opportunities and Challenges arising from them.

Potentialities are identified that stem from the country's location as an access to Europe, the mild climate, the light and the sun, the diversity of its historical and cultural heritage, the art of welcoming people, the diversity of the tourist offer, etc.

These factors, combined with the Opportunities identified, such as Sustainable Growth for Tourism until 2030, the Notoriety of the Destination "Portugal", the Growing Demand for Healthy Habits and Health and Wellness Products, make this ACCESSIBLE PORTUGAL project all the more pertinent and opportune.

Around 80 million EU citizens are, to a greater or lesser extent, affected by a disability. Due to demographic ageing, this number is expected to rise to 120 million by 2020. Accessibility is a prerequisite for these people to be able to participate and play an active role in society.

It is within this framework that ACCESSIBLE PORTUGAL intends to develop the project that is briefly contextualised below.

• Development of an information and publicity platform for accessible tourism in Portugal, which will help to attract new demand segments, improve the tourist experience for people with special needs, as well as contributing to Portugal's goal as a tourist destination, which is to "welcome people".
• This is an informative tool (not an evaluative one), with all the objectivity that this entails. The aim is to interact with Demand, using a Social Network model to publicise the destinations' tourist resources and their accessibility.
• It is intended that this platform will be based on an existing one that is being improved, Tur4All Spain. This has more than 20 years' experience of being promoted by IMPULSA IGUALDAD.
• O desenvolvimento tecnológico do projeto inicial foi financiado pela Fundação Vodafone Espanha e apoiado pelo Ministério de Industria, Energía y Turismo – Gobierno de España.
• The partnership established with IMPULSA IGUALDAD allows ACCESSIBLE PORTUGAL to benefit from a tested infrastructure and methodology, in continuous improvement, on an international scale, as well as a content production and translation system in 7 different languages, creating synergies, cost savings and greater speed in its development and implementation.